Tent



V. ANDERSON ETAL Nov. 17, 1942.

TENT

W m M mu W Patented Nov. 17, 1942 TENT Verne Anderson andCharles Andersonp,

V Muskegon, Mich.

Application March 14, 1942;sria1- No: 434,744 7 Claims. (or-135 1):

Thisinvention relates to tents. While it is" fully appreciated that special purpose tents have heretofore been proposed for varied uses and hence embody various structural details in ac: cordance with such uses; itjha's nevertheless been found that such special purpose tents havenot' heretofore successfully fulfilled 'the maximum requirements from 'the standpoint of simplicity, rigidity,'comfort, and 'ease' of setting up" and tak ing down, as well as economy of manufacture;

This-is particularly true of tents adapted for use as shanties, beach andactors l'ocati'ondressing quarters, and the like, where the time required to set the tents up and take them down is an important consideration in that these tents may be used only fora relatively short period, at'any one particular time or place, and must be sturdy, comfortable" and readily'ac'cessible. It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide "aunitary collapsible tent which is oapa ble of being erected without accessories for use, andcollapsed forstorage or transportation, in the minimum oftime'and in the minimum-of space; Y r

A'f-urther' object of the invention isthe provisionof 'a collapsible tent of unitary construction whereby it is adaptedfor expeditious erection without the common-useof poles, stakes, ropes,

and the like. a

A still further object of the invention is the provision ofaunitary collapsible tent embodying a plurality of like sections and the sections being independently collapsible; whereby the tent asa whole is capable of being opened or extended to a variable extent and shape without impairing the stability thereof. I

' A still'further object of theinvention is the provision of a" unitary collapsible tent which provides 'a'weather tight compartment-while at the same time providing means for sufiicient ventilation to counteract posisble foul air withinsuch compartment.

A still --further object of the invention is the provision of a unitary collapsible tent which is simple'in construction, durable, comfortable-in use, and which is capable of being manufactured 1 at relatively low cost.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which our invention appertains.

Our invention is fully disclosed in the following description takenin connection with theaccom panying drawings, wherein:

Figure-1 is apers-pective View ofthe improved tent showings'ame in erected and fully closed position;

Fig. 2" is a bottomplan view of the't'ent in the closedipo's'itionof Fig; 1";

' Fig; ,3: isaperspective' view of the tent in a normally wide opened position;

Fig. 4 is a viewsimilar to Fig; 3 showingthe tentin an'abnorm'allywi'de opened position and with the rear sections partially collapsed Fig.6 is a plan view'ofone ofthe fabric'sections of which the body of the tent is constructed;

Fig; 6iis a' plan View of the top fabric section of thetent;

'Figr'7 is a sectional view'a's' observed in the plane of 'line -'l'l "Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a sectional View as observed in the plane of line 88'of Fig. 1;

Fig. Q- is a "sectional view as' observed in the plane oflin'e S -B, Fig; 1;

" Fig. 10 isa fragmenta'lelevationalview show ing themeansfbr holding and collapsing the fabric sections;

Fig. if is 'a'view showing thetent as it appears in completely collapsed position.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, T designates theimprovedtent in its entirety. The

tent T comprises awall'composedof a plurality of fabric sections I-O which may be variable in number and whichare substantially of the form are disposed in lapped relation between the mating slats as indicated in-Fi'gs; 8 and 9.

"In" the constructionof the ten-t, the lapped edges of the wall-"sections are preferably secured to correspondingpn'esof the; mating slats as by staplesindicatd at 13in Fig. 8 and thereafter the-other corersponding-onesof the mating slats are secured to the first ones as by nails 1 i, indicated also in Fig. 8. I

Themati-ng' slats H and [2 provide in effect a flexible and yieldable framework composed of ribs, and the fabric-section's connected "therewith, as disclosedcombine to-provide a verysturdy unitary and self supporting'structure.

- The top ofthis unitary structure and its framework- 'is-further connected by marginal portions of a circular fabric section l5, which marginal portions are defined byan annular series of radial slits;l'6. By reference to Figs. 1, 2,7 and 9, it will ebe-seen that the edges of these slits are also disposed between the mating slats 'l l and i2 and in required circular spaced arrangement at the upper end of the tent structure.

The ribs or inner slat sections I2 are interconnected by a horizontal series of toggle levers I1, each of which comprises arms l8 and I9 having their opposed ends pivotally connected with adjacent ribs at and their adjacent ends pivotally connected at 21. The arms l8 are provided with stops 22 to limit the movement of the arms to a horizontal position.

In the complete, normally erected position of the tent, the arms of the toggle levers are all normally in closed or horizontal position as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, thereby bowing the ribs and distending the fabric sections In in a somewhat umbrella fashion, the tent being of a'form to provide maximum standing space therewithin and rigidity due to the shape of the connected fabric sections 10 and ribs.

The sections are preferably formed with extensions 24 at the base thereof for effecting asubstantially weather-tight connection with the ground even if the tent be erected upon a somewhat irregular surface.

The top or closure section l5 while providing a weather-tight cover, nevertheless further provides for ventilation of the compartment within the tent due to the louver-like spaces 25 provided between the loosely depending marginal portions of the top section 15 and the side wall sections.

It and between the slots l6 as shown in Figs. 1 and '7. u

The fabric sections l0 and I5 may be of any desirabl material such as duck, canvas or other weather resisting material. It will be readily appreciated from the foregoing that the tent is unitary in structure and does not require the usual poles, stakes, guy ropes and th like to retain it in desired erected positions, it only necessary to straighten the toggle links H, as indicated in Fig. 2, whereupon the fabric sections are tensioned with a resulting bow to the normally straight ribs or slats ll, l2, and by the further provision of the base fabric extensions 24, the tent will rest in a stable position on substantially uneven supporting surfaces.

By the provision of toggle levers ll individual to the different sections Ill, all of which sections are connected at their upper ends by the circular fabric section l5 and by the elimination of any connection between two adjacent ribs, the tent may be opened to a variable extent as shown in Fig. 3, or may be further opened to a relatively larger extent, without seriously affecting the stability thereof as shown in Fig. 4.

As indicated in Fig. 3, the adjacent nonattached opening ribs or slats Ila are separated substantially 180 at their lower ends asa result of partially collapsing the toggle levers in the front sections adjacent such ribs. At this point it is to be particularly noted that the top section [5 retains all of the ribs against undue separation at their upper ends.

In. Fig. 4, the adjacent non-attached ribs Ha are more widely spread at their lower ends, than is illustrated in Fig. 3, and several of the rearmost toggle levers are shown partially collapsed whereby the tent is not only opened to a greater extent than normal but the tent in its entirety is substantially collapsed, showing the stability of the structure.

Thus collapsing some of the toggle lever connections between the ribs provides for greatly varying the size of the door or passageway as well as various arrangements of the tent wall while some of the connections still remain in a stable supporting position.

When it is desired to transport or store the tent, it can be expeditiously collapsed without the separation of parts into a relatively small bundle, as indicated in Fig. 11.

It should be readily appreciated from the above disclosure that the improved tent is well suited for use as ice shanties, beach dressing rooms and the like or in any circumstances where use of an enclosure is desired only for a relatively short period of time, in that it is capable of being erected and collapsed in the minimum of time.

While we have disclosed but a single specific embodiment of our invention, same is to be considered as illustrative only, and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the subjoined claims.

What we claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is: i

l. A unitary collapsible tent having a frame comprising a plurality of normally straight flexible ribs, a fabric side wall member interconnecting said ribs for movement into adjacency in the collapsed position of the tent and into uniform spaced relation in the erected position thereof, with the ribs of said frame spaced throughout their lengths, a fabric top section also connected to said ribs and over-laying intermediate portions of said side wall member, the ends of two of said ribs being connected in adjacent relation by said top and laterally separable therebeyond to provide a passageway, and toggle link connec tions between each other two adjacent ribs intermediate the ends thereof for separating the ribs and tensioning the fabric side wall and for permitting collapsing of the tent.

2. A unitary collapsible tent according to claim 1, together with a top fabric cover having depending marginal portions interconnecting the upper ends of the ribs and loosely overlaying the side wall member between the ribs for admitting air to ventilate the interior of the tent.

3. A unitary collapsible tent according to claim 1, wherein said side wall member is provided with flexible extensions between each pair of ribs at the base of the tent, for providing a weather-tight connection with an irregular supporting surface.

4. A unitary collapsible tent comprising in the erected position thereof, a plurality of spaced bowed flexible ribs substantially widely spaced at the base of the tent and substantially closely spaced at the top of the tent, a pair of said ribs being free for opening and closing of the tent, a fabric side wall interconnecting the ribs, toggle link connections between the ribs and operable to hold the same in spaced relation and with the fabric side wall under tension, and a circular fabric top section having its marginal portion connecting one end of each of said ribs in circular arrangement, said toggle link connections being operable to collapse the tent with said ribs disposed in straight parallel relation.

5. A unitary collapsible tent according to claim 4, wherein said fabric side wall comprises a plul rality of sections and wherein said ribs comprise mating slats with the upright edges of said sections secured between said slats in overlapped relation.

6. A unitary collapsible tent accoring to claim 4, wherein said fabric top cover includes marginal portions secured to said ribs in overlapping relation with the upper end of said fabric side Wall.

'7. A unitary collapsible tent comprising a plurality of normally straightfiexible ribs each in- VERNE ANDERSON. CHARLES ANDERSON. 

